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linhnguyen 's review for:
The Mountains Sing
by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
I am grateful that The Mountains Sing takes me home again every night, all while making me even more homesick. The book makes me feel excited about experiencing a place that I was already so used to, but this is also why I resent it when certain things take me out of this experience.
Yes, this book is basically trauma porn, but it is far from being unrealistic. Hương’s family would be on the more fortunate side of survivors of the war, so it is justifiable in every way that the story is filled with tragedy. Do I also think we need any other anti-Communist depictions of the war? No, but none of these are my real problems with the book.
To preface, I understand that I am not the target demographic of this book, even though I have similar backgrounds with the author: a Vietnamese who picks up and leaves the country as soon as she gets a ticket for education abroad. This book is very much written for anyone but Vietnamese who read the book in English, providing explanations of proverbs and historical context. Keeping in mind that I’m not the target for the book, I don’t have that many issues with this alone.
The author claims that she includes Vietnamese words and phrases to show the beauty of the language. Most of the time, it works, but at times, it feels like there’s no purpose behind choosing certain words and proverbs.
For example:
This is what Hương’s friend Thủy said to her when she finds out that Hương’s grandmother is a trader and severs ties with her. Even Hương doesn’t seem to understand what her friend means in this context, probably because it doesn’t relate to the context. Is Thủy afraid to disobey her parents? Is she advising that Hương not defy her grandmother? Whatever it provides in this context isn’t conveyed successfully and exists just for the sake of it.
The same thing can be said about other Vietnamese words and proverbs, even though nothing angered me quite as much as the example above. On the other hand, there are Vietnamese words that should be included more frequently that aren’t. I would love to see pronouns and family words like "Mẹ, con, cháu, bố, bà, cô, dì, chú, cậu” used with frequency, since this shows the diverse ways that you can refer to someone, and you only have to explain them once. This would show you more about the language than names of random objects.
What makes it hard for me to suspend my disbelief is how unnatural the dialogues sound. Again, I know I’m not the target audience, so the dialogues probably read naturally in English. I wouldn’t know because my mind automates me to translate them into Vietnamese, which is incredibly difficult with how sentences are structured. I understand that structuring them in a way that reflects the Vietnamese language a bit more would read awkwardly in English. However, it wouldn’t hurt for certain expressions like “Couldn’t agree more” to sound more like how a Vietnamese person would say it. I don’t think ever in my life have I heard someone say “couldn’t agree more” or “không thể đồng ý hơn” as an affirmation, unless they have significant Western influence in their daily lives.
I also must touch on how expressive and affectionate these Vietnamese characters are, contrary to everyone I know in my life. I acknowledge that I don’t live in a war-torn situation where tragedies are around every corner, so the way my family and I express our emotions might not be as passionate. At some points in the book, the author mentions that the family don’t express love through words but rather food and acts of care.
However, verbal expressions of affection or just emotions are everywhere throughout the book, spoken by the members of this same family. Things like “You’re incredible” make me feel almost uncomfortable imagining how it would be said in Vietnamese. Not only are the characters too expressive verbally, but they are also physically affectionate, which is rare in the culture. Hugs are reasonable in tearful reunions and war settings, but they are not common at all in daily life, and realistically awkward hugs or half-hugs are what I would have loved to see. But then again, I might be overthinking this, and all of it might even be an editorial decision to cater to English-speaking readers.
Realism aside, I would love for the writing to include more personality. Instead of expositional, straightforward dialogues, there could have been more fun and jokey conversations that would show the Vietnamese humor. This would add a lot more to the characters, as they are rather dull most times. The book attempts to include multiple generations of a family, which reduces each character to be described by only one thing: the brave grandmother, the amputated uncle, the Communist uncle, etc. Books that feature a big cast of characters but manage to give them depth and complexity have been done successfully before, like One Hundred Years of Solitude. I also wouldn’t mind spending more time with each and every character, since the book is only around 330 pages.
Despite all criticism, I still had a good time with The Mountains Sing. I like the book’s portrayal of different political sides in the war. The writing puts me in a nostalgic time and place, even though it takes me out of it at the same time. I look forward to seeing what Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai still has up her sleeves.
Yes, this book is basically trauma porn, but it is far from being unrealistic. Hương’s family would be on the more fortunate side of survivors of the war, so it is justifiable in every way that the story is filled with tragedy. Do I also think we need any other anti-Communist depictions of the war? No, but none of these are my real problems with the book.
To preface, I understand that I am not the target demographic of this book, even though I have similar backgrounds with the author: a Vietnamese who picks up and leaves the country as soon as she gets a ticket for education abroad. This book is very much written for anyone but Vietnamese who read the book in English, providing explanations of proverbs and historical context. Keeping in mind that I’m not the target for the book, I don’t have that many issues with this alone.
The author claims that she includes Vietnamese words and phrases to show the beauty of the language. Most of the time, it works, but at times, it feels like there’s no purpose behind choosing certain words and proverbs.
For example:
“Cá không ăn muối cá ươn, con cãi cha mẹ trăm đường con hư.” Fish failing to absorb salt spoils; children defying parents ruin themselves hundreds of ways.
This is what Hương’s friend Thủy said to her when she finds out that Hương’s grandmother is a trader and severs ties with her. Even Hương doesn’t seem to understand what her friend means in this context, probably because it doesn’t relate to the context. Is Thủy afraid to disobey her parents? Is she advising that Hương not defy her grandmother? Whatever it provides in this context isn’t conveyed successfully and exists just for the sake of it.
The same thing can be said about other Vietnamese words and proverbs, even though nothing angered me quite as much as the example above. On the other hand, there are Vietnamese words that should be included more frequently that aren’t. I would love to see pronouns and family words like "Mẹ, con, cháu, bố, bà, cô, dì, chú, cậu” used with frequency, since this shows the diverse ways that you can refer to someone, and you only have to explain them once. This would show you more about the language than names of random objects.
What makes it hard for me to suspend my disbelief is how unnatural the dialogues sound. Again, I know I’m not the target audience, so the dialogues probably read naturally in English. I wouldn’t know because my mind automates me to translate them into Vietnamese, which is incredibly difficult with how sentences are structured. I understand that structuring them in a way that reflects the Vietnamese language a bit more would read awkwardly in English. However, it wouldn’t hurt for certain expressions like “Couldn’t agree more” to sound more like how a Vietnamese person would say it. I don’t think ever in my life have I heard someone say “couldn’t agree more” or “không thể đồng ý hơn” as an affirmation, unless they have significant Western influence in their daily lives.
I also must touch on how expressive and affectionate these Vietnamese characters are, contrary to everyone I know in my life. I acknowledge that I don’t live in a war-torn situation where tragedies are around every corner, so the way my family and I express our emotions might not be as passionate. At some points in the book, the author mentions that the family don’t express love through words but rather food and acts of care.
“In our family, love is something that we show, not something we speak about. Mama has never said that she loves me, but she shows it by caring and cooking for me.”
However, verbal expressions of affection or just emotions are everywhere throughout the book, spoken by the members of this same family. Things like “You’re incredible” make me feel almost uncomfortable imagining how it would be said in Vietnamese. Not only are the characters too expressive verbally, but they are also physically affectionate, which is rare in the culture. Hugs are reasonable in tearful reunions and war settings, but they are not common at all in daily life, and realistically awkward hugs or half-hugs are what I would have loved to see. But then again, I might be overthinking this, and all of it might even be an editorial decision to cater to English-speaking readers.
Realism aside, I would love for the writing to include more personality. Instead of expositional, straightforward dialogues, there could have been more fun and jokey conversations that would show the Vietnamese humor. This would add a lot more to the characters, as they are rather dull most times. The book attempts to include multiple generations of a family, which reduces each character to be described by only one thing: the brave grandmother, the amputated uncle, the Communist uncle, etc. Books that feature a big cast of characters but manage to give them depth and complexity have been done successfully before, like One Hundred Years of Solitude. I also wouldn’t mind spending more time with each and every character, since the book is only around 330 pages.
Despite all criticism, I still had a good time with The Mountains Sing. I like the book’s portrayal of different political sides in the war. The writing puts me in a nostalgic time and place, even though it takes me out of it at the same time. I look forward to seeing what Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai still has up her sleeves.